Combined eaves trough hanger and leaf guard



B. L. SINGER 3,436,878 COMBINED EAVES THOUGH HANGER AND LEAF GUARD April 8, 1969 Filed Aug. ,24, 1965 lNVE/V TOR BEN L. SINGER 4r forneyg U.S. Cl. 52-12 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure is for a hanger for an eaves trough which is also a leaf guard. The hanger is in the form of a perforated sheet of metal extending lengthwise of the trough with an upright fold along its inner edge to provide a fastening strip, and with the inner fold of the metal extending below the sheet and shaped to hook into a hook formation along the top edge of the inner wall of the eaves trough. The outer edge of the sheet interlocks with the flange depending from an inwardly-turned ledge on the top of the outer wall of the eaves trough. All drainage from the perforated sheet is into the gutter, and transverse ribs in the sheet give it rigidity.

This invention relates to an improved hanger for an eaves trough designed to provide continuous support for the eaves trough along its length and provide an effective leaf guard.

The present invention is for a combined gutter or trough hanger and leaf guard designed to firmly support an eaves trough and exclude leaves and other foreign matter comprises a gutter or trough member suspended from a hanger member, which latter member comprises an apertured or foraminous sheet coextensive with the trough member and fixed to a supporting structure. The hanger has inner and outer edges shaped to provide means for supporting engagement with mating edges on the trough. The hanger is further characterized by a plurality of spaced transverse ribs extending from adjacent its inner edges to a location adjacent its outer edge, by a plurality of spaced drainage ports adjacent its outer edge, and by a plurality of longitudinally spaced tabs adjacent its outer edge and foldable into holding engagement with the outer upper edge of the trough member. The device of the invention provides a remarkably strong and sturdy structure capable of withstanding severe weather conditions while promoting the desired drainage of water. The foraminous sheet inhibits the deposition of leaves, twigs, and other debris in the drainage trough where such debris would otherwise accumulate and obstruct the flow of water. At the same time the apertures in the sheet permit the flow of water into the trough. The ribbed hanger is sufiiciently strong so that it can support heavy loads of ice and snow without damage. The drainage ports in the outer edge of the hanger promote water flow into the trough and prevent the build-up of stagnant pools of water where the outer edges of the hanger and trough are mated. The arrangement and shape of the mating edge facilitates assembly of the hanger and trough onto a building. A plurality of tabs are provided on the hanger and are foldable into an upright position to lock the outer edges of the hanger and trough in mating engagement once assembled, whereby inadvertent disengagement of the mating edges is prevented.

According to the invention there is provided a combined leaf guard for an eaves trough and hanger for the eaves trough which may be roll-formed from a previously perforated sheet metal strip in any length desired, and which may be used with a known construction of eaves trough with little or no change in the eaves trough 3,436,878 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 itself. There is provided along the wall-confronting edge of the strip an upstanding double fold of metal forming a nailing strip above the surface of the strip. The rear portion of the fold extends down below the level of the perforated sheet, and is bent outwardly to form an offset that will project down into the interior eaves trough, and the offset portion terminates in an upwardly-formed hook that engages a cooperating hook on the rear wall of the eaves trough. With this arrangement the offset prevents the eaves trough from lifting up and the interacting hook portions serve to suspend the eaves trough. The outer marginal portion of the strip has an upwardly-turned flange or lip that hooks under an overhang along the outer top edge of the eaves trough, so that the perforated strip ties the outer wall of the eaves trough to the inner wall to keep the trough from bending or sagging. At the same time the perforated area of the strip is entirely below the level of the outer edge of the eaves trough so that all drainage from the perforated sheet is inside the eaves trough. The construction so provided can be cheaply formed of light gauge metal and provide both a strong hanger for the eaves trough and an efiective leaf guard that can withstand heavy loads of snow and ice and which, below eye level, is completely hidden and does not alter the appearance of the eaves trough, and it can be applied after the roof is shingled and as a replacement for existing eaves troughs and hangers.

This and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art and more fully understood by reference to the following description, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the eaves trough and hanger mounted on a supporting structure;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing a variation of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device of the invention is indicated generally as 10 and is shown in FIG. 1 as being mounted on a supporting structure 11 extending below the eave 12. The structure 11 may be a fascia strip suspended from the eave or may be a building side wall where, e.g., the overhang of the eave 12 is less than the transverse dimension of the device 10. The hanger member 13 is secured to the structure 11 by suitable fastening means 14 here shown as screws located at longitudinally spaced intervals with respect to the hanger 13. The hanger may be made of sheet metal or other material and has at its inner edge adjacent the structure 11 a fold of double thickness forming an upright flange 15 coextensive with its length. The inner fold of the flange extends downwardly below the plane of the hereinafter-described foraminous sheet portion and curves outwardly below said sheet portion to form a bead 16, the terminal edge of this bed being bent upwardly to provide an inwardly-turned upwardly-facing hook portion lengthwise of the structure. The outwardly-formed offset bead arrangement is positioned to extend over the top edge of the inner wall of the trough to confine the trough against upward movement when the trough is engaged with the hook portion. Extending outwardly from the flange 15 there is an apertured or foraminous sheet portion 17 with a plurality of apertures 18 therein, which may be round as shown, oblong, square or other desired shape. The front or outer edge of the sheet 17 terminates in an inwardly turned, downwardly facing outer hook mem ber or bead 19 of generally semi-circular cross-section. In the portion of the sheet 17 defining the head 19, there are a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures or drainage ports 20 opening laterally and downwardly to promote the flow of water from off the sheet 17 to the space below. At longitudinally spaced intervals along the 3 sheet 17 there are a plurality of transverse indentations or ribs 21 for added strength in the hanger 13. Preferably the ribs bulge upwardly as shown to promote water drainage and prevent the formation of stagnant pools of water at the ribs. Adjacent the outer edge of the sheet 17 there are a plurality of longitudinally spaced tab members 22 which are punched out of the sheet 17 on three sides with the outermost side remaining intact with the sheet whereby the tabs 22 are upwardly and outwardly foldable. Preferably the tabs 22 are punched in the sheet so that the free ends of the tabs are accessible for gripping by a pair of pliers or the like whereby they may be folded into upright abutting relation with the outer head on the trough member 23 to restrain inward transverse movement of the trough relative to the hanger to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the trough and hanger beads.

The trough or gutter 13 comprises a bottom wall 24, an inner wall 25 and an outer wall 26 which is sloped downwardly and inwardly toward its juncture with the bottom. The inner wall 25 terminates at its upper edge in an outwardly turned, downwardly facing bead 27 of generally semi-circular cross-section for mating supporting engagement with the inner bead 16 on the hanger 13. The outer wall 26 terminates at its upper edge in an inwardly turned upper marginal flange 28 and an outwardly turned upwardly facing bead 29 of generally semi-circular cross-section continuous with the flange 28 with the terminal edge of the bead in spaced relation to the underside of the flange 28.

With the construction described, the hanger 13 can first be secured to the support structure whence the inner bead 27 of the trough 23 can be snapped upwardly between the support 11 and head 16 into mating engagement with the inner head 16 on the hanger, the sheet metal or other material being sufficiently flexible to permit of this operation. The outer head 19 and 29 can be similarly engaged at the same time or they can be engaged after the inner heads have been engaged, after which the tabs 22 can be upwardly and outwardly folded over the outer marginal flange 28 to better secure the trough to the hanger and to restrict transverse movement of the trough relative to the hanger. As best seen in FIG. 2, the hanger 13 is preferably designed to slope downwardly from inner to outer edge to promote the drainage of water in that direction, away from the supporting structure 11.

Referring to FIG. 3, a variation of the invention is shown which is alike in all respects to that previously described except for the shape of the beads. In FIG. 3 the inner bead 116 on the hanger is inwardly turned and upwardly facing but the inner portion of the bead is generally parallel to the outer portion. In like manner the mating bead 127 on the trough is outwardly turned and downwardly facing with the outer portion of the bead generally parallel to the inner portion so that when assembled the outer portion of the bead 127 is disposed between the outer and inner portions of the bead 116. The outer bead 119 on the hanger is upwardly and inwardly turned to form an inwardly facing acute angle with the plane of the sheet 17. The outer wall of the trough 23 terminates at its upper edge in an inturned upper marginal flange 28 and a downwardly and outwardly sloping bead 129 which makes an outwardly facing acute angle with the plane of the flange 28. With this construction the outer beads 119 and 129 can more easily be engaged and disengaged. In both embodiments the inner and outer edges of the hanger and trough can be engaged without longitudinally sliding one with respect to the other because the material used is flexible enough to permit a snapping engagement. The hanger, which provides continuous support for the eaves trough along the entire length of the trough, may, like the trough itself, be rollformed from strip metal without any punching or stamping operation.

I claim:

1. For use with an eave trough having a bottom, an inner side wall terminating at its upper edge in an outwardly-turned downwardly-opening hook portion and an outer side wall having an inwardly-turned top ledge portion with the inner edge of the ledge being turned down to provide a depending flange, the invention comprising a perforated metal sheet adapted to extend lengthwise of the eaves trough which it supports, said sheet having a folded inner edge portion therealong extending upright with respect to the sheet to provide a double thickness fastening strip coextensive with the sheet above the level of the perforated sheet, the inner fold of the sheet extending downwardly below the plane of the sheet and being outwardly oifset below the sheet with the terminal edge below the oitset terminating in an inwardly-turned upwardly-opening hook arranged for the offset to extend over the hook portion at the top of the inner wall of the eaves trough and with the hook engaged under said downwardly-opening hook portion on the inner wall of the eaves trough and confine the inner wall of the eaves trough against upward movement and supported from downward movement, the outer edge of the sheet having an upwardly-turned marginal portion arranged to extend under and hook into interlocking engagement throughout its length with the down-turned flange on the top ledge of the outer wall of the eaves trough, with the outer edge of the perforated sheet then being below the top ledge of the outer side of the eaves trough and the inner edge and perforated strip being above the top edge of the inner side wall of the eaves trough.

2. The combined hanger and leaf guard as defined in claim 1 wherein the sheet has drainage perforations therein at the base of said upwardly-turned marginal portion.

3. The combined hanger and leaf guard defined in claim 1 wherein the perforated area of the sheet has longitudinally-spaced transverse ribs thereacross located between said folded upright inner edge and the upwardly-turned marginal portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 891,405 6/1908 Cassens 52-12 X 1,105,390 7/1914 Whedon 248-482 2,209,741 7/1940 Sullivan 5211 X 3,053,393 9/1962 McLean 52l2 X 3,189,304 6/1965 Vranyosovics 24848.2 3,295,803 1/ 1967 Blayden 52-95 X HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

